A Station for Broadway but not Bourton

"I could go on and on and on just off the top of my head. Seems Mr Roberts hasn't got a clue of what would be involved."
You're not wrong there!

 

It depends what kind of plan they have. Clearly going back into Cheltenham via the original route is utterly impossible now. otoh, much of the rest of the route from Kingham to Bourton on the water looks mostly open. You only hit major problems at Bourton and the A40 at Andoversford.

The only way I could think of getting back into Cheltenham would be putting in a deviation via the other side of the dowdeswell reservoir and linking up with the GWR via new cut somewhere around the racecourse. And thats an AWFUL lot of work for what is essentially going to be a seasonal tourist route. Its not like there would be any viablity as a freight route, its already well catered for by the north cotswold line, particularly if they get the link back to stratford.

On the positive side, Kingham to the Racecourse would be a lot shorter than a new S and D......


On it not shutting, I think we are all in agreement there. Never was a line less reported, or arguably more handsome. It is arguably the quintessential GWR route, meandering from somewhere to somewhere else at a slow speed across the English countryside. Well, at least the Gloucestershire Warwickshire do a good job of channelling its spirit.

 

Please nooooooo!!!!!!!!

 

On the subject of a station for Broadway, the planning application for the station buildings and signal box is now on-line. The full case number is 13/01373. Go to the Wychavon District Council Planning Search page and put the case number (01373) in the box in the "search by case number" area to bring it up.

 

Thanks for that. I think the signalbox and buildings diagrams will be useful for modellers too! Both very reminicent of other buildings on the line that still exist towards Birmingham.

 

Called there yesterday - all deserted and locked up with lots of threatening notices about CCTV. All in all a good deal less progress that all the websites had suggested - can't see a proper station there for a good many years yet.

They need to get to Broadway quickly, so they have a railway which goes "somewhere" - at the moment, it's very much a "Nowhere to Nowhere" railway.

 

The latest update on the Broadway blog shows the very good progress on this project. (Saturday 13 July). As I understand it, the Wednesday Gang is usually composed of more people than the Saturday Gang and they also have a Monday Gang too. Indeed, I only wish the GWSR had that number of volunteers on a project when the railway reopening started!

I'm very pleased about the notices regarding CCTV etc - today's society, where generally people seem to have little respect for other peoples' property means that some protection is required.

As for the comment about the GWSR going from nowhere to nowhere - yes it didn't go very far when it opened in 1984 but things have changed. I think we are all agreed that the GWSR needs to get to Broadway asap and there is tremendous support for it, not least from Broadway people themselves. I wouldn't call Cheltenham Race Course Station "nowhere" either. OK so its not Malvern Road Station and never will be but it is relatively easy to get to from Cheltenham town itself.

Clearly Michaelh has an opinion on the current GWSR progress at Broadway but I for one don't subscribe to that opinion (with the exception of getting to Broadway asap and that is solved by getting wallets out again!).

 

Have you actually been to the site?

 

I have to agree with KinghamBranch here - I've been following the Broadway blog since it started and I am very impressed at the progress they are making. Michael would do well to remember that they are starting from nothing and having to source the correct type of bricks from around the country, arrange careful dismantling, packaging, delivery to Broadway and then start the mind-numbing job of cleaning the old mortar off each brick before relaying can take place. I also understand that all activities at Broadway are self financing and receive no monies from the GWSR as they (correctly in my opinion) are putting their money towards extending the track and dealing with bridges etc.

The lengths of platform rebuilt to date are a credit to the Broadway Gang(s) and deserve high praise, it should also be remembered that planning permission for the station buildings has only just been applied for, so I'm not sure what you did expect to see at the site?


Keith

 

It seems less than 12 months ago before they even seriously started building the platforms, so I think progress has been pretty remarkable in a short period of time.

I wonder how easily planning permission will go through? Presumably if they can show it largely replicates what was once there it will make things easier.

 

Many times, especially when work first started clearing the Broadway Station site around 2007-8. Sadly, these days I only usually manage 3 or 4 visits a year and I'm not a working volunteer on the GWSR any more due to distance and other distractions. My last visit was on the Cotswold Steam Gala at the end of May this year when a Pannier Tank loco was on display and I was very impressed with the progress. Unfortunately, you cannot see too much from the Broadway Station driveway but this is more than made up for by the Steaming to Broadway Blog and also the excellent C&W blog which never ceases to amaze me - the activity that is going on, especially now that the GWSR is free from the shackles of 2 major landslips, is nothing short of incredible - well to me anyway! I remember it back in 1981, when Toddington Station & yard looked like a breath away from becoming another housing estate. I know we can't get to Broadway fast enough but I'm sure we will, but then I'm biased!

 

It reminds me a little bit of 'What did you expect to see from a bedroom window of a hotel in Torquay....'
Foundations, drains, cable ducts, platform walls, earth moving are things that will not show once the track down but they are vital in the grand plan of things. You can't just plonk down track and add a platform in 30 seconds, this is real life, we are talking hard graft not Hornby. What counts is hours worked and I am sure that anyone who wants to donate these will be welcome with open arms, or failing that hard cash to purchase materials.

 

I have to say that the number of posts that currently on that newspaper message board does not reflect the number of messages that were posted. At least one person was banned from posting messages drawing attention to Mr Roberts love of northern Irish dmus for example, but did it stop me from posting? Nosiree bob. Oops

 

I too have been following the excellent "Steaming to Broadway" Blog, and am totally impressed by the amount of work put in by the volunteers, particularly the bricklayers, to get to where they are, and their hard work recovering suitable bricks from various sites. I think a further substantial number of blue engineering bricks are due on site from a railway-related demolition job near Tewkesbury soon. Recycling at its best, keep up the good work.

Regarding security of the site when no one is there, sadly a necessity these days.


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